Appointments
Composition Capital appoints Head of Asia Pacific
Real estate fund manager Composition Capital Partners has appointed Whye Choong Low as principal and new Head of Asia Pacific at its Hong Kong office. He will be in charge of both running the company's Asia Pacific operations and expanding its activities...
Hans Tung leaves China VC firm Qiming for the US
Hans Tung, Beijing-based managing partner at Qiming Venture Partners, has left the firm. AVCJ understands the departure was amicable, driven by Tung’s desire to relocate to the US for family reasons. He has yet to join a new firm.
Alvarez & Marsal appoints Asia forensic, disputes services head
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), performance improvement, turnaround and business advisory services provider, has appointed Keith Williamson as Asia leader of its global forensic and dispute business in Hong Kong and China.
The churn factor
Mid-cap Asian GPs are no strangers to staff turnover, with volatility tracking the peaks and troughs of different regional markets. In times of plenty, when China and India were booming, it seemed that a week couldn't pass without a manager spinning out...
Australia's Starfish Ventures scales back team
Malcolm Thornton and Nick Peace are set to leave Australian VC firm Starfish Ventures, having converted from investment directors to venture partners. They will continue to work with existing portfolio companies until exit at which point the two are expected...
Orrick strengthens Japan M&A, PE practice
Orrick has appointed Edward S. Johnson as a partner in its M&A and private equity practice in Tokyo. He joins from Paul Hastings, where he previously served as managing partner of the Tokyo office.
GP turnover delivers improved fund performance - study
High turnover among GPs leads to improved fund performance, according to a new study conducted by Capital Dynamics and the London Business School (LBS). While the findings appear to turn the prevailing notion that stable teams deliver the best returns...
American Capital infra unit hires ex-Citi banker as Asia MD
American Capital Energy & Infrastructure (E&I), an affiliate of NASDAQ-listed private equity firm American Capital, has appointed Abhay Pande as managing director for Asia. He was formerly co-head of energy global banking in the region for Citigroup....
Citigroup names new COO
Citigroup has appointed Michael Borch as its new chief operating officer for corporate and investment banking (CIB) in Asia Pacific, replacing Christopher Laskowski who has been in the role since 2010.
Ex-World Bank president joins Temasek board
Former World Bank President Robert Zoellick has been appointed to the board of directors at Temasek Holdings as the Singapore state-owned investment firm looks to open its first US office.
Kroll boosts China investigations practice
Kroll Advisory Solutions has hired Peter Glanville as an associate managing director in its Greater China investigations and disputes practice. He joins from Deloitte where he was a senior member of the forensic accounting team.
Singapore's Temasek appoints new chairman
Temasek Holdings has appointed Lim Boon Heng as its fourth chairman, succeeding Suppiah Dhanabalan who is retiring after leading the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund for 17 years.
Vietnam's Mekong Capital appoints new partner
Vietnam-focused GP Mekong Capital has named Chad Ovel as a partner. It is the first partner-level appointment since Chris Freund, Mekong’s founding partner, set up the firm in 2001.
China appoints Ding Xuedong chair of CIC
China has named Ding Xuedong, a deputy secretary general of the State Council and former vice finance minister, as head of China Investment Corporation (CIC).
Qiming promotes Nisa Leung to managing partner
Qiming Venture Partners has promoted Nisa Leung, the head of its healthcare practice, to managing partner.
3i Debt hires Lisa Johnson as Asian investor relations director
3i Debt Management (3iDM) has appointed Lisa Johnson as director of investor relations in Asia. Based in Singapore, Johnson will help 3iDM expand its business in the region and develop its client relationships.
Global Environment Fund promotes Sridhar Narayan to MD
Global Environment Fund (GEF), a private equity firm that targets energy, resources and environment-related assets, has promoted Sridhar Narayan to managing director within its India team.
Clifford Chance appoints Latham partner to head Singapore funds team
Clifford Chance has hired Latham & Watkins partner Kai Schneider to lead its funds team in Singapore. He replaces Han Ming Ho, who is leaving for Sidley Austin.
Quadria hires Rajesh Singhal to boost India coverage
Quadria Capital has appointed Rajesh Singhal as principal managing partner. He will take responsibility for the education and healthcare portfolio companies in India Build-Out Fund I, a vehicle acquired from Milestone Religare Investment Advisors three...
J-Star promotes Satoru Arakawa to partner
Japanese mid-cap buyout firm J-Star has promoted Satoru Arakawa to the position of partner.
CITIC Capital's Yichen Zhang joins EMPEA board
Yichen Zhang, chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital, has joined the board of directors at the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA). He will also sit on the organization’s Asia Council.
John Brakey quits as head of PE at Australia's MLC
John Brakey has resigned as head of private equity at MLC, National Australia Bank's (NAB) wealth management division. His replacement is Natalie Meyenn, who moves up from her role as chief investment officer at the PE division.
Providence Equity loses Asia MD - report
The head of Providence Equity Partners' Hong Kong office, Patrick Corso, has reportedly resigned. It is the fourth senior departure from the firm's Asian operation since it was established in 2007.
CVC hires Korea specialist Charles Huh from Standard Chartered
Charles Huh has joined CVC Capital Partners as a senior managing director responsible for South Korea after spending nine years at Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE).